FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66  
67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   >>   >|  
e table, his arms laid across it, his head resting on his arms, and in a position that displays a profile view of the body. The Goddess of Poetry should be a young lady of good height, figure, and features, and costumed in a flowing white dress, cut low at the neck, with short sleeves trimmed with white satin ribbon; a wide muslin mantle should be worn across the shoulders; a wreath of myrtle adorns the head. In her right hand she holds a golden harp; the left is placed on the shoulder of the Poet. Her position is behind the table, in the background of the picture, and facing the audience. Her head is slightly bent forward, and eyes directed to the face of the youth; her countenance expresses pleasure. The following machinery can be used, if desired, which will add very much to the beauty of the piece. In place of the Goddess being at the side of the Poet when the curtain rises, a sliding platform can be made to move on to the stage from the ante-room, on which the Goddess should stand. A stout post firmly fixed in one side will enable the lady to stand perfectly still while the platform moves to its position. All that is necessary in the construction of this part of the work is to make a set of ways, and a sliding platform that will run with ease from one side of the stage to the other. A rope attached to the platform, and fastened to a crank below the stage, will propel the Goddess to her position. The ways and platform can be hidden from view by a strip of board, painted to imitate the floor of the room. A small quantity of the whitish-blue fire may be burned near the spot where the Goddess appears. The light should be very dim, and come from the side of the stage opposite the Poet. Music soft and plaintive. DEATH OF EDITH. O'er her low couch an Indian matron hung, While in grave silence, yet with earnest eye, The ancient warrior of the waste stood by, Bending in watchfulness his proud gray head, And leaning on his bow. Solemnly beautiful, a stillness deep, Fell on her settled face. Then, sad and slow, And mantling up his stately head in awe, "Thou'rt passing hence," he sang, that warrior old, In sounds like those by plaintive waters rolled. "Thou'rt passing from the lake's green side, And the hunter's heath away; For the time of flowers, for the summer's pride, Daughter, thou canst not stay. "Thou'rt journeying to thy
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66  
67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
platform
 
Goddess
 
position
 
plaintive
 

warrior

 

passing

 

sliding

 

Bending

 

Indian

 

matron


ancient

 

earnest

 

silence

 

whitish

 

quantity

 

painted

 

imitate

 
burned
 
opposite
 

resting


watchfulness

 

appears

 
leaning
 

hunter

 

waters

 

rolled

 
flowers
 

journeying

 

summer

 
Daughter

sounds

 
settled
 

stillness

 

beautiful

 
displays
 

Solemnly

 

mantling

 

stately

 

directed

 

forward


picture

 
facing
 
audience
 

slightly

 

countenance

 

desired

 

flowing

 

costumed

 

expresses

 
pleasure